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Season’s Expectations

Ahhh expectations. The bane of my life. You know what it’s like, you save up for a really big night out that you’ve been looking forward to for a couple of months, your favourite DJ/band are playing, you have a great selection of drugs/friends/whores with you and the night is just ok. Or maybe the whore bites your nob and steals your drugs. Yet the Friday before, you went out for a cheeky pint and stumbled in at 5am after a cracking night out.

Last season, I predicted Hull City to finish in 13th. We probably should have finished close to 13th. After the 0-0 draw away at Liverpool, I still thought we would – though I did get tempted at the 4-1 on offer for relegation at that point. I remember specifically saying that we now looked at home in the Premier League.

Sometimes I am wrong.

My expectations are not so high this season.

On paper, we have one of the best squads. McGregor has his faults but I cannot think of a better goalkeeper in the division. Dawson and MaGuire are excellent centre-backs – so is Davies if he can be re-enthused. I don’t need to tell you that Huddlestone is technically gifted. If any of our 3 strikers are not sold, then whoever remains will get 10-15 goals easily in this league – yes even Hernandez. Maybe. Aluko, Robertson, the new loan signings…

My main concern is that we have lost the core of the team, which is a concern seemingly shared by many who don’t run the club in any form. The suspicious part of me wonders if fan favourites such as Rosenior and McShane have been let go to spite the fans. I hope not.

As we proved last season, having a squad is less important than having a team.

Can Bruce meld a team out the remains? Yes, he can. But then again Obama is possibly more of a failed president than Bush.

Bruce is proven at this level but it will take some work to mentally recover from relegation. If we start well, win games and score goals, then relegation will be forgotten about. If we stumble and lose a few, then it may well be a long season. Our first game is an ideal game against what I view as fairly weak opposition, and a team likely to be fighting for survival.

I’m predicting a 6th place finish. I’m not fussed about getting promoted – if it happens, it happens. But with the players we have, we really do need to be pushing for the play-offs as a minimum.

I’d go so far as to suggest that if we are not at least close to the play-off places by Christmas, Bruce will have to go. Our second-best ever manager has 4 months until my patience will have finally waned. 13th or lower at Christmas, then it’ll be thank you for the good times.

Off the field, I am shortly expecting a full and frank apology from Mr Allam for the pain, division and distress he has caused to the fans of our football club, immediately after we announce the signing of Negrado.

Oh yeah and a new application for the name change, along with the continuation of the stealth rebranding – if there is anything left with our actual club name on.

I also expect the Allam Out campaign to gradually grow in vociferation, generally in tune with his outbursts, lies and unpleasantness.

Maybe there will also be plans by one or other fan groups to take matters into our own hands to reverse the rebranding. Personally I refuse to use the Hull City Tigers website, or any of the rebranded social media.

It’s going to be an interesting season, I wouldn’t rule out anything happening – I will be endeavouring to attend more games than last season, which won’t be difficult.